Confused over what reciever to get

[malcom123]

My needs are a HD reciever preferably with built in Hard drive. Via USB recording not ruled out.
Want best SD quality available. As well as HD. Wouln't say no to twin tuners. At least two CAM slots......Not too bothered about card readers.....Want quality but don't really want anything that is more complicated than my needs.

Some recievers talk about Linux and enigma 2. Don't really understand what the implication of having such recievers are......and with regard to my needs if I would be better of with or without such a reciever.....

Not really expecting to want to link my reciever with downloads from a computer unless absoloutly needed to update firmware etc

I have looked at Humax/Topfield/Vu+ duo. Don't want to spend more than I need but cost is not the deciding factor....Quality of performance is my main interest.

I read a comment on a forum about Humax icord stating the SD picture is poor on those machines........Untill then I had sort of settled for the Humax iCord range

General advise would be appreciated.....

P.S. My system will be motorised with at least an 80cm dish.

 

[dmgp]

Hi Malcolm123
I may be biased but I have used dozens of receivers over the years and have had a VU+Duo for 6 months or so and it has been better than any other. It would seem to fit the bill, I use it with a Panny plasma and after a few tweaks the pictures are superb, it may be a bit difficult to set up, not because it's running Linux, because the Panny is Linux too. The operating system can be almost transparent, it depends on what you want it to do, and what you want to watch etc.
If your dish is set up correctly it will find everything on it's own, once you have had a read on setting up LNB's, Tuners etc. The bigger the dish the more you will see, a few satellites visible in the UK may be a bit marginal on an 80 cm dish.
This box is more future proofed perhaps than others. Humax used to be good, I had a 5400 for years. but have not heard good reports on Icords.
The box is easy to update with new software but does need an internet connection through RJ45 to get the best out of it.
I did a lot of reading about Az Cube REvo Dreamboxes before I plumped for the DUO
I have seen one of the new Technomates' I think a 5402 in action, Great value for money, The decision is yours, hope the above comments may have been of some use.
rgds
dmgp

 

[malcom123]

Hi. Many thanks for the info......The more I learn about Humax the less happy I feel......Been talking to a dealer this morning. I am indeed looking at the Duo+ as an option and I have a new Panasonic LED/LCD 42" screen.....Which I am very pleased with.....

My main concern is if the Duo+ is too complicated to use.......Dealer say's it does everything. When it comes to being an enthusiast I am sort of middle of the road.......I'll take on something more than basic but a bit scared of the unknow advanced.....No idea waht is meant by enigma 2 for example

It says PVR ready......Are internal hard drives easy to install.......External USB hard drives are they problamatic at all with the Vu+ as I have never used one.......Regards..

P.S. do you know of a manual download site for the Duo+

 

[dmgp]

Hi
No it's not that difficult and there is a lot of help available. Enigma 11 is the latest incarnation of the sofware that runs the Duo. Fitting a hard drive is a doddle and pretty cheap these days I used a 1terabyte, cost about £50, Have a look on google for various VU forums, can't advertise on here, some are foreign but not all and they have how to do almost everything. Different images ( Software ) are being written all the tine, from the likes of VTI, PLI and others. I am using VIX at the moment and the only difficulty I have had is mounting my laptop as an external drive on the wireless network. You can use a USB drive for a PVR but I use mine to store the Electronic Program Guide EPG and things called Picons which are small logos that show when on the channel in the info bar
rgds

 

[malcom123]

Many thank's. I have obtained a download of the manual now....Manual well presented looks logical even if it is a complex choice of options.......I'll do as you suggest and do search for more research on the Vu. regards.....

 

[malcom123]

Found Vu+ support forum and done some reading. Now I am feeling its to complex for me........They talk about USB flashing the Vu+ during set up. Clueless as to what flashing is or why!!!!!!!

Questions posted about setting up an internal hard drive talk abour formatting in a computer first and once again flashing........Same with setting up an external drive........

Reading the Vu instruction manual it looked pretty logical now I am not so sure.......

Reading the forum support seems to imply that you can't manage the Vu+ without a computer connection rather than take advantage of what it can if you do have a computer connection...... Have I got the wrong end of the stick.......

 

[Huevos]

Found Vu+ support forum and done some reading. Now I am feeling its to complex for me........They talk about USB flashing the Vu+ during set up. Clueless as to what flashing is or why!!!!!!!

Flashing is just changing the software of the box to one that is the newest or one that is from an independent source. Just because the box can be customised doesn't mean you have to customise it though.

Questions posted about setting up an internal hard drive talk about formatting in a computer first and once again flashing........Same with setting up an external drive........

That's nonsense. I just opened the lid, screwed the drive to its fixing and then plugged in the leads. Then switched the box on and went in the menu and mounted the drive.

Reading the forum support seems to imply that you can't manage the Vu+ without a computer connection rather than take advantage of what it can if you do have a computer connection...... Have I got the wrong end of the stick.......

There is no need for a PC but if you do have one you can do lots of useful things such as creating custom channel lists and things like that.

 

[malcom123]

Many thank's for the clarifications......Reading through some of the jargon on the other Vu+ support forum I asked the question that if a beginner like myself screws up when trying to flash another "image". The original image gets overwritten and may not be recoverable........

Information getting to me if I understand it correctly is that a factory re-set would not bring it back and I would have to connect to a download site and somehow find an "image" download and do it via computer.......I have looked at a download link and have not a clue what I am looking at when selecting the correct "image" that I might have lost.......

 

[malcom123]

Leaning towards a Vu+ duo.......I need to know however if there are any issues when using an external USB hard drive. Are they straightforward to plug in and initialise. Is there a need to format the external USB drive on a computer before the Vu will accept it........

 

[Huevos]

Leaning towards a Vu+ duo.......I need to know however if there are any issues when using an external USB hard drive. Are they straightforward to plug in and initialise. Is there a need to format the external USB drive on a computer before the Vu will accept it........

No need for a PC, but personally I would use an internal sata drive. It's very easy to fit, and there are no trailing cables or hard drives to hide away. The other option is just stick a NAS somewhere on your network and record to that.

 

[malcom123]

Many Thank's. I also duplicate my apology here for the reaction to your reply in the dedicated Vu+ forum. regards......

 

[malcom123]

Still struggling over what reciever decision......At the age of nearl 70 I am not as flexible towards change I was a few years back. Struggling. When I read the VU+ manual I think ok yes I can deal with that.........But when I read posts on the VIX satellite forum I think what the heck will I be getting into.......Strange talk about "picons" and "images" Got the jist of an "image" I think. No idea what picons are.....

I suppose I might as well ask about the performance of Technomate machines........How do they compare with the VU+duo.......

 

[Analoguesat]

Picons are little channel logos which appear in the menu bar

Just a fancy addon - no real practical use apart from making the menu bar a bit prettier

 

[malcom123]

Picons are little channel logos which appear in the menu bar

Just a fancy addon - no real practical use apart from making the menu bar a bit prettier

Ahhh. Thank's.......That's a relief. No extra clutter on the screen for me so no worries about picons here.

 

[net4hack]

I had setup a Satellite system with Technisat HDFS freesat HD receiver with 4 LNB's positioned @ 9E, 13E, 19.2E and 28.2E. The receiver had frozen 3 times sice i set the system yesterday. It wont respond to button press on the remote and even to power button press on the receiver itself. I need the DiSEqC feature as I need to switch between freesat and non freesat mode to watch channels on various satellites. I know many Freesat HD receivers wont support this option. But read that the Humax Foxsat HD receiver supports this. Not sure whether I need to return the technisat one and get the same one again or to go for some thing else like Humax which would support DiSEqC switching. I dont want to go to a too pricey option like the vu+ duo. What options do I have?